Festival site will host memorial display of flags

Published: Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 05:05 PM.

NICEVILLE — Starting Saturday, hundreds of American flags will be flown at the Mullet Festival grounds, one for each Floridian killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11.

Paul McShane, organizer of the Field of Valor memorial, conceived the idea after picking up the paper earlier this year and reading that Niceville native Army Sgt. 1st Class William Lacey had been killed in action.

“We’re a nation at war,” said McShane, who is organizing the memorial. “Although it’s out of the news, we’ve got men and women on the battlefield putting their lives on the line.

“We wanted to bring that home for people.”

The Exchange Club of Niceville is hosting the memorial.

One 3-by-5-foot flag will be flown on an 8-foot-tall flagpole for each of the fallen service members from Florida. Each display will feature their name, hometown and a yellow rose.

At least a dozen of those service members were from Northwest Florida, including Lacey, 38, Army Sgt. Joshua Born, 25 of Niceville, Army Private 1st Class Matthew Colin, 22 of Navarre, and Army Specialist Ryan Cook, 29 of Fort Walton Beach. All were killed in combat in the last three years.

“Obviously this is close to home for those families,” McShane said. “And for the rest of us, it’s a chance to pay our tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

Opening ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Guest speakers include Army Col. Robert Kirila with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Jansson from Eglin Air Force Base and state Rep. Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach.

The memorial will be open Saturday through June 14 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

NICEVILLE — Starting Saturday, hundreds of American flags will be flown at the Mullet Festival grounds, one for each Floridian killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 9/11.

Paul McShane, organizer of the Field of Valor memorial, conceived the idea after picking up the paper earlier this year and reading that Niceville native Army Sgt. 1st Class William Lacey had been killed in action.

“We’re a nation at war,” said McShane, who is organizing the memorial. “Although it’s out of the news, we’ve got men and women on the battlefield putting their lives on the line.

“We wanted to bring that home for people.”

The Exchange Club of Niceville is hosting the memorial.

One 3-by-5-foot flag will be flown on an 8-foot-tall flagpole for each of the fallen service members from Florida. Each display will feature their name, hometown and a yellow rose.

At least a dozen of those service members were from Northwest Florida, including Lacey, 38, Army Sgt. Joshua Born, 25 of Niceville, Army Private 1st Class Matthew Colin, 22 of Navarre, and Army Specialist Ryan Cook, 29 of Fort Walton Beach. All were killed in combat in the last three years.

“Obviously this is close to home for those families,” McShane said. “And for the rest of us, it’s a chance to pay our tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

Opening ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Guest speakers include Army Col. Robert Kirila with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Jansson from Eglin Air Force Base and state Rep. Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach.

The memorial will be open Saturday through June 14 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.